Israel's Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Sunday questioned whether president Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen) represents all Palestinians. "Our Palestinian partner Abu Mazen is problematic. Does he represent all of the Palestinian people? It is clear that he does not represent Gaza and that his legitimacy in the West Bank is in doubt," Lieberman told Israel's public radio.

"To sign an accord with Abu Mazen would be to sign a deal with the leader of Fatah," the Israeli minister added. "That said, I hope there will be a meeting with Abu Mazen. It is important that there be political negotiations, and we are ready for that -- as long as there are no preconditions.

"We don't have to buy an entry ticket for talks," Lieberman said regarding the Palestinian conditions for resuming peace negotiations. "National honour is an important value in the Middle East, and the time for obsequious attitudes is over. We have no need to adopt false pretences in a bid to please," Lieberman said.